Island



Dec. 4 1923, 1,476,518

` l F. E. JoNEs YARN CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR SPRING NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINES Filed April is 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 4, 1923.

F. E. JoNEs YARN CONTHOLLINVG MECHANISM FOR SPRING-NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINES 4Filed April 18 ,l 1922. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 4, 1923.,A

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:FRANK n JoNns, or rnwfrucxnrr, RHODE ISLAND, AssIoNon 'ro HEMPHILL colu-l PANY, or CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, A ConroRA'rIoN or MAssAcHUsETjrs.

YanN-coNTnoLLING MEoHANrsM Fon SPRING-NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINES.

v Application med Aprn 1s, 1922. serial No. 554,842'.` f

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. JONES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pawtucket, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented an Improvement in Yarn-Controlling Mechanism forv Spring-Needle Knitting Machines, of which the following description, in connection with tlie.acco1npanying' drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to yarn controlling mechanism for knitting machines, and particularly .to such mechanism for spring needle knitting machines` In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, I have disclosed a single embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a circular'knitting machine having my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation looking' from the right of the sheet in Fig. 1, with parts in vertical section;

Fig. 4 is a detail mainly in verticalvsection, representing the upper part of a needle, a. presser, and a web holder cooperating therewith;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a part of one of the needles, and the web holder pertainino thereto;

ig. 6 is a somewhat diagrammatic representation of certain of the needles as p0- sitioned in rotary knitting; j

Fig. 7 is a similar View of the parts as positioned in reciprocating knitting when the needles are moving in the direction opposite to that in which they moved in rolarv knitting; y

ig. 8 is a plan view, somewhat diagrammatic, showing the yarn controllin means and the position of the thread wit respect thereto, in rotary' work; and

Fig. 9 is c. similar view, but showing the position of the thread in reciprocating work (the needles moving in the direction "opposite to that in rotary work).

My invention relates particularlyto means .tor controlling the iii-feeding yarn and more especially to means for controlling the yarn which is fed to spring needle knitting machines. l have chosen to represent my invention as applied to a rotary yknitting machine, but it is not limited thereto al- ATENT ori-ical though the invention is of peculiar importance in a spring needle knitting machine of between the needles, the web holders, .a l as clearly appears in my Patent No. 1,430,814, .es

dated October 3, 1922.

The invention is represented as applied to,

a circular knitting machine of the known as the Bannermachine and disclosed 'Q in the Hemphill Patent No. 933,443, dated?" September 7, 1909. The needles employed in the disclosed machine are arranged in'a circularseries, and are of the usual spring y beard type, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5, 8 and 9, at 1, the stems 2 of the needles being desirably reduced or tapered to form thin pointed strips which are bent to vform they beards 5 terminating in points 6. The needles are provided with the usual or other knitting butts, which cooperate with appropriate knitting cams, certain of which are indicated at 7 to produce the knitting wave in circular knittin or knitting waves in reciprocating knitting according to the direction of movement of the knitting mechanism.

The invention is principally concerned with that type of machine wherein the yarn is laid against the needle stems or Shanks directly and .without sinking between said Shanks and to this end there are rovided appropriate yarn guides herein siown as live in number at 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 in Figs. 1

land 2, and pivoted at 13 to a support 14;,-

which in the disclosed embodiment of the invention has the generalv form of a halt ring with a'lateral projection and is itself pivoted at 15 to an upright post 16 shown in Fig. 2,l the construction being such` that 4the support or member 14 may be swung back out of the way for any purpose, as for affording access-to the needles.

ica i tiony as indicated in Fig. 3, the inactive guides being -moved upwardly automatically so that their yarns or `without splitting the fibres thereof, as said beards descend to their pressers 1n passing towardr the knitting point.

In machines of the character shown herein, it is common to employ devices termed web holders which are arranged between the needles and function to engage the fabric or web that has been previously formed, so as to prevent the old loops whereby said web is suspended from the needles, from working up on said needlesand interfering with the formation of the new stitches or loops. This is of particular importance in spring needle knitting machines because o' the 'fact that the.

i space between the old loop and the new infeeding yarn is much less than in latch needle machines and should said loops of ineeding yarn be improperly spaced, there is likelihood of the beards of the needles being depressed at the wrong point, in which case the yarn would be split or there would be failure properly to separate the old loop from the new yarn.

Located in front of each needle is a beard depressor 17 of any desired type and such for example as that shown in my said Patent No. 1,430,814.

It is desirable that the point (l of the needlel beard should be substantially even withor past the lower edge of' the yarn bet'ore depressing of the beard takes place or has progressed l'ar enough to cause. the points oi said beards to cut or separate the strands of the yarn. It is therefore a Vfunction of the web holders heretofore referred to. and one. of which is indicated at IR, to assist in depressing the web in the vicinity oi' and piel erably at the needle.y the pointof whose beard is passing or has passed the iii-feeding yarn in ils descent to it presser as it approaches the knitting point in thc wave produced by the knitting rams.

The web holder 18 preferably employed is provided with a lower nib 19, the entire series whereof constitute the `fabric supporting bed, and it is over such lower nibs that the yarn is drawn by the descending needles and measured for the new loops. lacl'i web holder also has an upper nib 2() which together with the lower nib 19 forms a throat 2l of sufficient depth to receive and hold the threads are not web in its depressed position it being noted that by the terni proper level I Inean at a slight distance below the points of the beards of the needles as they are positioned just before they begin to descend the slope to the casting-ofil point, such level being substantially indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, as that most approved in spring needle practice. The upper nib 20 is cut relatively lower than customary for various reasons fully set forth in my said Patent No. 1,430,814.

It need merely be stated here that it is desirable that the upper nibs 20 of the web holders be not in Contact with the in-feeding yarn and that said nibs leave it free and unsupported from the yarn guide to the fabric in regular knitting or from said yarn guide to the last idle needle about which it is partially wound 'at the beginning oi. each reciprocation in oscillatory knitting as the first active needle approaches the knitting point.

In order to compel the irl-feeding yarn of the active yarn finger to feed directly to the needles as soon as said yarn linger is' thrown into action and in order to hold the yarn against the slianks of the needles at the proper level below the points of the beards thereof, I have provided mechanism, the disclosed embodiment of which is as follows:

The support 14 is provided with a vertical fade 22 at one end of the half circle, as most clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Against said vertical face I secure, preferably adjust ably, a, member indicated generally at 23 and having a body portion 24fprovided with lat lll@ erally extending slots 25 for the reception of' screws 26 by which the member is secured to the vertical face 22 with capacity for in and out, adjustment. The said member 23 occupies a position which may be radial to the needle circle but which is here. shown as parallel to a radius and also parallel to the yarn guides 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

The said member is provided with means to compel the yarn of any yarn finger S to 12 that is thrown down into action to `feed directly 'to the needles and-not to skip any ot' them, such as one-or more of the leading needles, as sometimes occurs when the yarn linger is iirst thrown down into action, ,For this purpose I have herein represented the body portion 2st as having an upstanding part 2T here shown as vertical and vin the vertical plane of the body member 2l, and dcsirably llared at its upper end as indient cd in plan, Fig. l so as to direct the yarn safely downwardly. It will be evident that when the yarn guide is in opcrative'position as shown in Fig. 3, the yarn is compelled to feed to the needles immediately at the active yarn guide, and that the leading needle or needles of the series are compelled to take the yarn.

In order to support or hold the yarn against the Shanks of the needles at the support 14 is swung upwardly on its pivot 15, the part 29 just grazes or just escapesl grazing the beards of the needles.

The in-feeding yarn rests upon the upper surface of the part 29 which is preferably flat as shown, and the latter is at just the proper height to support the yarn against the shanks of the needles at the proper level below the beards, it being understood, as

previously stated, that the yarn is not sunk' between the needles, but is supported against the circle of the needles in a manner which need not be more fully described.

Having thus described one illustrative einbodiment of my invention` I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and lnot for purposes of limitation, the scope ofthe invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims:

1. A circular, spring needle, knitting machine having a circular series of spring needles and a circular series of web holders for holding the web without supporting the in-feeding yarn or sinking it between the' needles, one or more yarn fingers movable into and out of operative position, and means at the outside of the needle circle cooperating with the yarn feeding finger but structurally distinct therefrom to hold the yarn against the Shanks ofthe needles at the proper level below the beards thereof at substantially the iii-feeding point.

2. A circular, spring needle, knitting machine having .a circular series of spring needles and a circular series of web holders I for holding the web without supporting the in-feeding yarn or sinking it between the needles, a yarn guide movable into and out of action, and stationary means in proximity to said yarn guide at the outside of the needle circle, and close to the Shanks of the needles passing the yarn guide to hold the yarn against the shanks of the needles at the proper level below the beards.

3. A circular, spring needle, knitting machine having a circular series of spring needles and a circular series of web holders for holding the web without supportingthe iii-feeding yarn or sinking it between the needles, a yarn guide movable into and out of action, and cooperating means distinct Afrom said yarn guide substantially concentrically positioned with respect to the needles at the outside of the needle circle, and in proximity to the Shanks of the needles to support the in-feeding yarnbelow the beards thereof. Y

4. A circular, spring needle, knitting machine having a circular series of spring needles and a circular series of web holders for holding the web without supporting the in-feeding yarn or sinking it between the needles, a yarn guide movable into and out of action, and means at the outside of the needle circle structurally distinct from said yarn guide but cooperating therewith to compel the in-feeding yarn to feed directly to the needles and to hold the yarn against the shanks of the needles at the proper level below the beards thereof.

5. A knitting machine having a yarn guide'movable into and out of action and means structurally distinct therefrom positioned atthe` outside of the needle series to compel the yarn pertaining to said yarn guide to feed directly tothe needles as said yarn guide is thrown into action and without permit-ting the yarn to skip the passing needles or the leading needles of the series.

6. A circular knitting machine having a yarn guide movable into and out of action,

and means structurally distinct therefroml positioned at the outside of the needle series in close proximity to said yarn guide to compel the yarn pertaining to said guide to feed directly to the needles as said yarn 'guide is thrown into action and without permitting the yarn to skip the passing needles or the leading needles of the series.

7. A circular knitting machine having a yarn guide movable into and out of action, and means structurally distinct therefrom positioned at the outside of the needle series in close proximity to said yarn guide and to' the needles to compel the yarn pertaining to said guide to feed directly to the needles as said yarn guide is thrown into action and also to hold the yarn against said needles at the proper level for knitting.

8. A circular spring needle knitting machine having a yarn guide movable into and out of action and having means structurally distinct therefrom, positioned at the outside of the needle series 1n closeproximity thereto and adjustable in and out with respect tol the circle of needles to compel the yarn pertaining to said guide to feed directly to the needles from said yarn guide and to hold the yarn against the shank of the needles at the proper level below the beards.

9. A circular springneedle, knitting machine having a partial ring member at the needle circle 'and adapted to be turned up out of the way to permit access to the needle circle, one or more yarn guides mounted chine having a partia ring member at the needle circle and adapted to be turned up out of the way to permit access to the needle circle one or more yarn guides mounted on said member for movement into and out 'of guide movable into and out of action, and

action, and yarn controlling means secured to said ring member in proximity to said yarn guide or guides, said means having an upstanding formation to compel the in-feeding yarn to feed directly to the needles as the yarn uide is moved down into action, and also aving a formation substantially concentric with the needle circle to hold the yarn against the Shanks of the needles at the proper level below the beards thereof.

11. A circular, spring needle, knitting machine having a circular series of spring needles and a circular series of web holders for holding the yarn without supporting the iniceding yarn or sinking it between the needles, one or more yarn lingers, and means at the outside of the needle circle co operating with the yarn feeding nger or fingers, but structurally distinct therefrom, to hold the yarn against the Shanks ofthe needles at the proper level below the beards into and out of action, and means fixed in position during the normial operation of the machine, at the outside of the needle circle to hold the yarn against the Shanks of the needles at the proper level below the beards thereof at substantially the infeeding point.

13. A knitting machine having a yarn stationary means located at the outside of the needle series to compel the yarn ertaining to said yarn guide to feed direct y to the needles as said yarn guide is thrown into action and without permitting the arn to skip the passing needles or tithe' eading needles of the series.

14. A circular knitting machine having a yarn guide movable into and out ofaction, and stationary means located at the outside -of the needle circle but in close rox imity to said yarn guide and to the need es to compel the yarn pertaining to said guide to feed directly to the needles as said yarn guide is thrown into action and also to hold the yarn against said needles at the proper level in knitting.

In testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK E. JONES. 

